Review: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don’t do this often, but I think I should include the blurb from the GoodReads page.

“A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She’s also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it’s a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.

Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he’s under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.

When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her–hopefully proving, once and for all, that she’s as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.”

My friend, a Pirates of the Caribbean fan like me, suggested this for fun. Her book club had just enjoyed it.

But after the serious reading I had been doing of late, this was just not my cup of tea. At least at first. By the end, my sense of humor came back, and I had a hard time reading it before bed without letting Laugh out Loud moments escape me.

My copy came from the library on the Libby app. It was the audio version and the narrator, Elizabeth Knoweldon, was a hoot to listen to. I loved her accent and how she adjusted her voice according to the character.

If you are looking for a fun summer read, this might do the trick!

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Review: Sticks, Stones, and Dragon Bones III

Sticks, Stones, and Dragon Bones III by Evelyn Ink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, thank you, Evelyn Ink, for letting me read this delightful series and especially this one. This was, in fact, a free-for-review read from Smashwords.

This was a perfect bedtime book. Let me take a moment to say that I have discovered a way to read on my tablet after my husband is asleep. I have downloaded Moon Reader Pro which has the text-to-speech feature. Sure I could have listened on my Kindle but I wanted to read along without turning on the lights. As a kid I used to sneak the flashlight under the covers to read when I was supposed to be asleep. How I wish Ms. Ink’s books and the technology of today was there for me way back when!

Boys: Read this!

Girls: Read this!

These books are about a group of siblings that have been allowed to follow their passions. The youngest, twins, are into pirates and have their own lingo the the older siblings must learn to interpret. The older sisters are forced to care for their younger sisters while drawn into an adventure none have chosen. They are stuck in a world without their parents and must learn who to trust. They decide that they are their own authorities on their lives. All are smart kids who occasionally make mistakes. Meanwhile the action and adventure are highly fun and scary!

Anyone who is starting on book 1 at this point is lucky. I think I might have been better off to read these all in a row. I had a hard time remembering some of the previously met characters and places. Most of the time Ms. Ink gave enough hints that I would be drawn back in. But there were a couple times I felt lost. I don’t blame the author for this. I do have a memory like a sieve. But even then I kept reading and enjoyed the ride.

I could see these books made into movies equal to Harry Potters or Narnia. Again, I say: Where were these books when I was a kid? All adventure books were about boys. Girl books were prissy and boring. Smart readers everywhere will love the characters and the scary fun presented here.

I could go on, but I think I’ve covered everything. Please read these books! FUN!!!

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Moon Reader Pro

  Image by None via CrunchBase

Review: The Locket Thief

The Locket Thief by Daniel Patrick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you, Daniel Patrick, for the offer of a lifetime! You were right! This book was brilliant! I hated when real life drew me away from reading it.

This book is like a combination Golden Compass, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Annie. The action and adventure never lets up. The characters are well developed. I loved that it felt gender neutral. I think young men and women would love this equally, as well as children and senior citizens. There’s something there for everyone. This could easily be made into a movie.

***The problems written here before have been edited out. So this author deserves five plus stars!!!!***

Fabulous read! Thanks, again! Can’t wait to read the next book!

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